Evacuation station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9931007-B2
Application number	US-201514944788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

An evacuation station includes a base and a canister removably attached to the base. The base includes a ramp having an inclined surface for receiving a robotic cleaner having a debris bin. The ramp defines an evacuation intake opening arranged to pneumatically interface with the debris bin. The base also includes a first conduit portion pneumatically connected to the evacuation intake opening, an air mover having an inlet and an exhaust, and a particle filter pneumatically the exhaust of the air mover. The canister includes a second conduit portion arranged to pneumatically interface with the first conduit portion to form a pneumatic debris intake conduit, an exhaust conduit arranged to pneumatically connect to the inlet of the air mover when the canister is attached to the base, and a separator in pneumatic communication with the second conduit portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An evacuation station comprising:
a base comprising:
a ramp having a receiving surface for receiving and supporting a robotic cleaner having a debris bin, the ramp defining an evacuation intake opening arranged to pneumatically interface with the debris bin of the robotic cleaner when the robotic cleaner is received on the receiving surface in a docked position;
a first conduit portion of a pneumatic debris intake conduit pneumatically connected to the evacuation intake opening;
an air mover having an inlet and an exhaust, the air mover moving air received from the inlet out the exhaust; and
a particle filter pneumatically connected to the exhaust of the air mover; and

a canister removably attached to the base, the canister comprising:
a second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit arranged to pneumatically interface with the first conduit portion to form the pneumatic debris intake conduit when the canister is attached to the base;
a separator in pneumatic communication with the second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit, the separator separating debris out of a received flow of air;
an exhaust conduit in pneumatic communication with the separator and arranged to pneumatically connect to the inlet of the air mover when the canister is attached to the base; and
a collection bin in pneumatic communication with the separator.

2. The evacuation station of claim 1 , wherein the separator defines at least one collision wall and channels arranged to direct the flow of air from the second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit toward the at least one collision wall to separate debris out of the flow of air.

3. The evacuation station of claim 2 , wherein the at least one collision wall defines a separator bin having a substantially cylindrical shape.

4. The evacuation station of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises an annular filter wall defining an open center region, the annular filter wall arranged to receive the flow of air from the second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit to remove debris out of the flow of air.

5. The evacuation station of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises another particle filter filtering larger particles than the other particle filter.

6. The evacuation station of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a filter bag arranged to receive the flow of air from the second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit to remove debris out of the flow of air.

7. The evacuation station of claim 1 , wherein the collection bin comprises a debris ejection door movable between a closed position for collecting debris in the collection bin and an open position for ejecting collected debris from the collection bin.

8. The evacuation station of claim 1 , wherein the canister and the base have a trapezoidal shaped cross section.

9. The evacuation station of claim 1 , wherein the canister and the base define a height of the evacuation station, the canister defining greater than half of the height of the evacuation station.

10. The evacuation station of claim 9 , wherein the canister defines at least two-thirds of the height of the evacuation station.

11. The evacuation station of claim 1 , wherein the ramp further comprises a seal pneumatically sealing the evacuation intake opening and a collection opening of the robotic cleaner when the robotic cleaner is in the docked position.

12. The evacuation station of claim 1 , wherein the ramp further comprises:
one or more charging contacts disposed on the receiving surface and arranged to interface with one or more corresponding electrical contacts of the robotic cleaner when received in the docked position; and
one or more alignment features disposed on the receiving surface and arranged to orient the received robotic cleaner so that the evacuation intake opening pneumatically interfaces with the debris bin of the robotic cleaner and the one or more charging contacts electrically connect to the electrical contacts of the robotic cleaner when received in the docked position.

13. The evacuation station of claim 12 , wherein the one or more alignment features comprise:
wheel ramps accepting wheels of the robotic cleaner while the robotic cleaner is moving to the docked position; and
wheel cradles supporting the wheels of the robotic cleaner when the robotic cleaner is in the docked position.

14. The evacuation station of claim 12 , further comprising a controller in communication with the air mover and the one or more charging contacts, the controller activating the air mover to move air when the controller receives an indication of electrical connection between the one or more charging contacts and the one or more corresponding electrical contacts.

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Morin Russell Walter
• Bursal Faruk Halil
• Boeschenstein Harold

Classifications

• A47L7/0085

  adapted for special purposes not related to cleaning · CPC title

• A47L9/122

  flat · CPC title

• A47L9/2805

  Parameters or conditions being sensed · CPC title

• A47L9/009

  Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles · CPC title

• A47L9/2821

  Pressure, vacuum level or airflow · CPC title